Diners Welcome New Covid Testing Rule

Restaurant-goers on Sunday welcomed a new rule requiring groups of more than eight diners to present negative Covid tests, but operators said the measure is putting more stress on their staff.

As part of the government’s effort to control the resurgence of infections, restaurant patrons have to show a negative rapid antigen test result done in the past 24 hours or a negative PCR test result done within 48 hours.

A customer at a Lok Fu restaurant, surnamed Leung, said she often dined out with a large group, and the new rule made her felt safer.

"It is for anti-epidemic purposes, and it makes everyone feel more comfortable when we eat out. There are usually more than ten of us. We’d be seated at separate tables," she said.

Another patron, surnamed Lai, believed the new rule would be useful only if people are honest.

"People might present fake test results. The government should do something to encourage people to comply with the rule and to get used to it,” she said.

RTHK observed that some customers did not write their name or the time the test was done on the testing kit as required by authorities.

The restaurant’s manager, surnamed Lai, admitted that its staff could only do so much to ensure the results provided by patrons were real.

"It would be more stressful for the staff. When there are more than eight people in a group and if some of them did not have a test result, after they are seated, we are liable. If anything goes wrong, we the ones who get punished,” he said.

He said the restaurant had prepared spare test kits and a room in which customers could do tests if necessary.